Flexible joint.



if, mmm. FLEXiE MMU.

APPLICATIGH FILVED 0CT.29. ISIS.

` Patene Nov. 16, MM5.

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@Homes n. Mooney, 'or SAN Armenio, frnxas, assrsivon or ons-HALF 'ro saarnnit r.

snuiven, or sr. Loris, Missouri.

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appiieatimiea october ee; 191s.

ile it that l', THOMAS MOONEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county'of Bexar, State. of Texas, .hve invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Joints, of which the following is a Specification.

My invention relates to improvements in flexible joints, and one of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved and simplied device of this character, which will be simple., durable and reliable in construction and effective and efiicient inl operation.

@ther objects or" my invention will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure i is a central longitudinal section. of a device embodying my invention., and Fig. Z is a transverseseetional view on'tlie line :2 2 or Fig. l.'

in the drawings l iliave shown my im-v yf-roved riexible joint inf;duplicate,- the two Vdts being connected together,'for the purposeof illustrating the manner in which my device may be readily' adapted to the various uses r.and reqiiiremenfts which a device oi Since this/character are intended to meet. both goints, however, are identical in so rar as their construction is concerned a description of one of them will be siifieient for a clear understanding of my invention.

In thedrawings have shown the termi nais A, B and C or" the two joints in the in of elbows, but it Will. be obvious that ti; y be of any suitable form to meet the llioiilar requirements. The terminal B, i1 structure illustrated, serves as a comm-'en terminal for the two joints and E, but it will be understood that the ten.

minal B may be formed at one end for attaohment to any pipe or connection wherein it is desired to use a flexible joint. mote ends of the terminal members A and C are shown as internally threaded for connection to any suitable pipe. l provide tivo hollow cylindrical members 1 and 2- of dif# ferent diameters. The cylindrical member 2 is of somewhat less diameter than the member l and is disposed conoentrically Within the member 1. These members are preferably made of such dimensions that the inner diameter of the member 2 is substantililly equal to the inner diameter of the terminals A and C, so that a clear unobstructed pas- Spccication of Letters Iateiit. Y

The/reserial 30.791964.

being .made tight to pre-vent leakage'. inf order to prevent therelative rotation offthe inner member'Q andthe terminal member A 'I provide a setscrevv or other "suitable fastening device 5, which, as shown'in the drawings, passes through the ends ofthe two members 2 and A thereby locking them togather. The other end 6 of the inner cylinf. drioal 'or tubular member 2 =is preferablyr smooth and snugly fits the end portion 7 of the terminal B in such a manner that the member and the terminal member B may not only rotate relatively to each other but also move longitudinally. The end portion 8 of the outer tubular member l is internally .end 'o the terminal meiiiberA, thisoiiit4 )60 threaded and is screwed upon the externally threaded end portion of the' terminal -meniber B and this member l is locked against noted, is tapered toward the threaded end 3 of tiie member Q, and it adapted to lit in the socket, or seat', so to speak, which is formed by a correspondingly' tapered portion ll at the other end olf the outer tubular member i, this portion ll being, as clearly shown in l, tapered opp'f"tely to the tapered flange lll. This construction iorins .a fluid tight joint between the members l and 2, which permits the relative rotation between the members l and Q, and at the saine time readily adapts itself to any Wear occasioned by the rubbing of the tivo surfaces of the enlargement 'IO and 'the portion il. lt- Will be noted however, that these tapered or beveled portions are completely removed, or isolated, from access by the fluid passing through the joint. 'Thiais obvious freni the fact that the joint between the member 2 and the terminal is a threaded connection, which iiiav be made absolutely' fluid tight, and the joint between the terminal B and theinember :2 is considerably relmoved therefrom. In order, however, to

further insure against leakage at the joint, or connection between the terminal member B and the inner tubular member 2, I provide a rubber, or other suitable gasketv12, in the annular space 13. between the two tubular members 1 and 2. This gasket is preferably in the foi-in of a ring, which snugly fits the tubular member 2, and is preferably positioned abutting the end 7 of the terminal B. In the annular space 13 between the gasket 12 and the shoulder 14, formed by the annular enlargement of flange 10, I place a spring 15. This spring is pref: erably in the form of a coil expansion spring and is placed in this space under tension, so that it will force the two tubular members 1 and 2- longitudinally with respect to each other, and thereby-,firmly maintain the tapered enla1gement-10 and portion 11 yieldingly seated. This spring also forces Ithe gasket 12 yieldingly against the end of the terminal member, and also against the surface of the tubularmember 2. I prevent the spring from crushing into the gasket by 'means of a metal ring 12a. It will be noted that the surfaces or ends of both the gasket and metal ring are tapered iii such manner that the tendency is to wedge the gasket against the end of terminal B and the surface of tube 1, thereby insuring holding the gasket-firmlyin place. .-I provide a couple fof instanding projections in the end 0 ofthe inner tubular member 2, for the purpose of enabling a hold to be obtained upon the tubular member 2 when screwing it into the terminal A, oi unscrewiiig it therefrom.

It will be noted that the more delicate parts, such as gasket 12, and the spring 15, are completely housed and thereby'entirely protected against damage. Itwill also be noted that these partsare 'entirely `removed from the Huid passing through the joint so that they are therebyprotected against disintegration. My device mayreadily be connected to standard piping, or may be used-v in any of the places where exible joints of v this character aie required. The parts vare so constructed that complete relative freedom of movement is allowed the terminal members, without any danger of leakage diie to this relative movement.

It will be understood by one skilled inthe mounted in the bore of said fitting and an enlargement thereon spaced from the in- .wardly tapering end of the fitting; an outer tubular member over said inner tubular member, one of its ends engaging `said enlargement and its other end threaded on said fitting; a gasket between said tubular members and against the tapering end ofr lsaid fitting; a ring having one surface tapered oppositely to the tapered end of the fitting and adapted to wedge the gasket into i the sharp corner between the end of the fitv ting and the inner/tubular member sealing 'the joint between said inner member and said fitting; and a compression spring in a 'space between said tubular members and be'- tween said ring andsaid enlargement. YIn testimony .whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on't-his 22nd day of October A. D. 1913.

THOMAS H. MOONEY. I/Vitnesseszl J. FRANK GALLAGHER,

D.A D. MooivEY. 

